Blak List Vol. 18: Hot, fresh out the oven, boundary pushing beat work and crispy vocals across all the new Mob releases.
Jingi walla all you Blak Loud family!
Blak List is your monthly journey through the exciting world of Blak music and the Blak Loud playlist on Amazon Music. Huge thanks to Amazon Music for their continued support of this curation by the Awesome Black team.
In this brand new June edition of the Blak Loud playlist we are looking at some brand new tracks from some of the hottest Blakfulla artists out there.
As we always have and always will… we have 50 tracks for you all from First Nations artists ready for you to dive into! As we pump up on the accelerator in the lead up to NAIDOC let’s get some sweet beats pumping.
Turn up the volume on our top tracks for June 2024.
Bow & Arrow – “Triad”
Y’all know Bow & Arrow right? If you don’t, please take this opportunity to not only check out their latest release ‘Triad’ but dive into their back catalog cause they have been doing their thing for a while. Triad is our lead track this month for good reason. It hits hard straight out the gate and this month that is what I am all about. At Awesome Black we are loving what the group are doing on this track. Mindy Kwanten’s powerful voice gets a chance to fully reign over me, paired with production that drives the vocals up a notch. This is a track of unapologetic intensity and captivating allure, with an incredibly grimy, yet sensual drip.
Recommendation: Listen to this loud over a cocktail.
GLVES – “Stand Tall”
Continuing on the electro themed songs with powerful feminine vocals that we started out with we have the new outing from GLVES with Stand Tall.
This track has alt-pop dystopian tension, the stirring ethereal vocals perfectly between angst-driven dark beats. GLVES is hitting the moments in between moments with a poetic prowess and continuing with the development of her unique ‘Blaktronica’ sound.
This track was originally commissioned by the Australian Women in Music Awards but it stands on its own as a powerful work. “It’s about rallying against the status quo and highlighting the transformative strength of sisterhood. My girlfriends are essential to my wellbeing, and the song recognises how these relationships embolden me to stand up for what I believe in. In this post-referendum era and with the continued violence against women in our community, these connections are more important than ever as they create and sustain cultural shifts” GLVES 2024
GLVES has produced an eerie and powerful film clip to accompany the track, created in a mannequin warehouse and abandoned military base – you should definitely check this out and go to GLVES social media to peek some of the making of – it is super interesting.
Moss (with Nooky) – “STORM”
It is no secret that I have a lot of love for the cultural powerhouse that is Nooky. I am a huge advocate and champion of what he does and has achieved. Side note: Add me to your mailing so I can actually hear about these things before they come out – this one took by surprise.
In the powerful new electro underground single STORM Moss has paired underground junglesque beats with guttural traditional trills, instruments and chants alongside a repeated rap from Nooky that hits oh so hard. This is one part war rally cry and one part religious experience. Moss huge respect to you for what you’ve done on this track.
Cloe Terare – “Alignment”
Coming out of the deep underground we move swiftly into pop vibes on Cloe Terare’s gorgeous new track Alignment. Alignment is a collaboration with producers YesYou and Blacksmif and my gosh their beat work is superb. Cloe’s vocals sit so well wrapping in and around everything that is going on here.
Cloe’s work is going from strength to strength and she continues to be one to watch flying way above where I could ever hope to be.
Kayps– “Boun Giorno”
So… was everyone else caught by surprise here with Kayps? Whilst an overnight success story is never a true thing and belays the hard yards of work and talent people have put into their craft for years Kayps kinda snuck on me. Hailing from Broome, W.A, Maps has shot through the Sydney and world scene in the last few weeks with this track in particular… from flying over from westside to participate in Triple J’s Bars of Steel project to having his face appear on one of the billboards in Time Square NYC this has been a huge month for the lad.
Maps and Calvin Bennett are making super genre pushing beats and dance party rap sounds and Boun Giorno is a stellar outing to hit the playlist. Huge congrats bro.
Absolutely loving the ways Mob are pushing the boundaries of form and genre and getting weird with it. I have been saying for years that Blakfullas gotta do more weird shit and y’all have delivered – I love this.
What to Expect in This Month’s Playlist
Our Blak Loud playlist for June 2024 features these incredible tracks along with other remarkable songs by First Nations artists.
Other highlights include Barkaa’s new track Preach, new 3% (more to come soon I think), new King Stingray & so much more beautiful Blak music.
Dive into the playlist on Amazon Music and immerse yourself in the rich and diverse sounds of Blak music. Each song is a testament to the creativity and resilience of these talented artists, showcasing the vibrant tapestry of First Nations music.
As always, we’re eager to hear your thoughts and suggestions, so feel free to drop us a line at music@awesomeblack.org.
Thanks for joining us for Blak List Vol. 18, and stay tuned for more exciting Blak music discoveries in the next edition. Until then, stay Blak and keep the beats pumping.
